Economy

Ship accident at Douala Bonaberi Port: Management assures services undisrupted.

The management of the Douala Port Authority, PAD, has assured stakeholders that the Douala Bonaberi Port is still fully functional, despite the recent ship accident.
The assurance is the content of a statement the institution posted on its official Facebook Page.

PAD management, in the explanation, disclosed that in the night of 11 to 12 July 2026, at about 3 a.m, “a maritime accident occurred in the channel of the Port of Douala-Bonaberi, near Buoy No. 20, involving the MV SEA HONOR, which was leaving the port, and the MV BLACK RHINO, which was entering it”.

It detailed that the “incident did not result in any loss of life, but significant material damage was sustained by both vessels and led to the temporary obstruction of the navigation channel…”

Management explained that following the accident, “the technical and operational teams of the Douala Port Authority were immediately mobilised. A crisis unit was set up and substantial maritime resources were deployed to secure the area and restore maritime traffic as quickly as possible”.

It went further to detail that: “Once operations were complete, the MV SEA HONOR was refloated and towed to the anchorage area, whilst the MV BLACK RHINO was deliberately run aground along the line of red buoys to ensure the safety of navigation. Its fifteen crew members were safely disembarked and looked after, in accordance with current procedures”.

PAD detailed that the operations to clear the channel were carried out successfully and “navigation was therefore able to resume under normal safety conditions”.

It disclosed that “initial findings suggest that a loss of steering control on the MV BLACK RHINO may have caused the collision. A technical investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances of the accident and determine liability, in accordance with the applicable regulations”.

The Director General of PAD, Cyrus Ngo’o, in the statement, “commended the professionalism and responsiveness of all the teams involved, as well as the cooperation of the various parties who assisted in managing this incident”.

He also reaffirmed PAD’s commitment to ensuring the safety of navigation, the continuity of port operations and the protection of people, properties and the environment.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3846 of Monday July 13, 2026